Agoraphobia: Symptoms and Causes

It is a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and avoid places or situations that might make you feel panic, trapped, helpless or embarrassed. It is more common in women than in men.

Causes

The cause is still not known but there are several factors that are known to increase the risk of developing agoraphobia. These include:

Depression

Claustrophobia and social phobia

Another type of anxiety disorder, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder

A history of physical or sexual abuse

A family history of agoraphobia

Symptoms

Afraid of leaving home for extended periods of time

Afraid of being alone in the social situation

Afraid of losing control in a public place

Afraid of being in places where it would be difficult to escape

Detached or estranged from others

Anxious or agitated

Diagnosed

It is diagnosed based on symptoms and signs. In order to diagnose with agoraphobia, symptoms need to meet certain listed in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

You must feel fear and anxiety in two or more of the following situations to be diagnosed with agoraphobia:

Using public transportation, such as a train or bus

Being in open spaces, such as a store or parking lot

Being in enclosed spaces, such as an elevator or car

Being in a crowd

Being away from home alone

Treatment

Psychotherapy: It is also called as talk therapy, this gives you an opportunity to talk about your fears and any issues that may be contributing to your fears.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: It helps you to understand the distorted feelings and views associated with agoraphobia. It can also teach you how to work through stressful situations by replacing the distorted thoughts with healthy thoughts.

Exposure Therapy: In this, you are gently and slowly exposed to the situations or places you fear.

Certain medications can help relieve agoraphobia or panic attack symptoms such as,

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